CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
IMAGE RIGHT: Archway with steps at the side of Ashdell
(©1998 Graham Soult)
Ashdell is a listed Victorian villa in the Sheffield suburb of Broomhill. The building was
owned until recently by the University of Sheffield, who used it as an annexe for Stephenson
Hall of Residence.
This website was first set up in 1998, when the University unveiled plans to build a four-bedroom house
on Ashdell's front lawn. If this had gone ahead, the relationship between Ashdell and its
garden setting would have been irrevocably damaged.
Fortunately, there were many objections to this proposal, both from Stephenson Hall residents
and locals living in Broomhill, and Sheffield City Council rejected the application.
This was far from the end, however! In April 1999, the University of Sheffield revealed yet
more plans to sell off and develop green spaces around Oakholme Road, this time for housing
development by Crosby Homes. Sites under threat included tennis courts at both Stephenson Hall and Crewe Flats,
the site of Heatherleigh (another Victorian villa), and the garden of the Warden's House.
These proposals would have represented a damaging loss of greenspace in an area already suffering - in many people's opinion -
from overdevelopment.
After further objections and campaigns, all but one of these proposals were finally rejected. Only the development at Crewe's tennis court - probably the least damaging of all the proposals - was given the go ahead. The
subsequent scheme, to its credit, is quite sensitive to its setting, small in scale and has not involved
the loss of very much greenery.
Ashdell itself is no longer owned by the University of Sheffield, having been sold to a neighbouring
school. After many years of limited maintenance, this is no bad thing - Ashdell at last has
an owner who will look after both the house and its garden.
This website is no longer regularly updated, but it is maintained as a record of
this successful campaign - saving these green spaces and historic buildings from the
threat of short-sighted housing development.
Graham Soult
8 June 2003
CAMPAIGN NEWS
(most recent first)
3 August 1999
Victory for the Ashdell Campaign!
The University of Sheffield's
plans to sell off and develop more green spaces around Stephenson Hall have been
thrown out by Sheffield City Council.
April 1999
"The very heart of Sheffield's Victorian heritage"
Letter of objection to Sheffield City Council (April 1999), raising the key points against the proposals.
April 1999
More proposals
The University of Sheffield has revealed yet more plans to
sell off and develop green spaces around Stephenson Hall.
Stop the Stevo Tennis Courts Racket
Link to the campaign website set up by Stephenson Hall students.
NOTE: The site no longer
exists, but by clicking on the link above, an archived copy can be viewed courtesy of the
Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
March 1999
Latest proposals and reactions
Article from 'The Steel Press' (Sheffield University student newspaper), 12 March 1999.
NOTE: The site no longer
exists, but by clicking on the link above, an archived copy can be viewed courtesy of the
Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
September 1998
Planning permission refused for house on Ashdell lawn
City Council has "no alternative but to refuse planning permission".
"Ashdell is fine example of Victorian Woodland Garden"
Ashdell is one of around 40 gardens featured in "Sheffield's Historic Parks
and Gardens" (UDP Policy Background Paper No.4), published by Sheffield City
Council in 1997.
August 1998
University's "entirely sympathetic development"
The University of Sheffield's Director of Estates has spoken for the first
time about the proposed development of Ashdell's gardens.
August 1998
"Ashdell development would be tragedy for city"
Supplementary Information sent to Sheffield City Council by Graham Soult.
August 1998
Press release to Sheffield Telegraph
April 1998
Letter of Objection
Proposed development of dwelling-house at Ashdell, in the Broomhill Conservation Area, Sheffield.
CONTACT
The Ashdell Campaign website is by Graham Soult.
© 1998-2003
I would be particularly interested to hear from anyone who has memories of Ashdell, or any
old photographs which I could scan and use on this website.